Friday, August 19, 2011

Old Subaru Meets New

Getting out of Houston was easier said than done.

What is it about fender benders that makes you want to cuss. While killing time waiting on Toby to get off work, I went by a Home Depot to look at light fixtures. I was pulled into a straight parking space with no one to my right. I came out of HD and got in my car. I immediately started it, put my safety belt on, pulled my sun screen thingie down, and looked around before backing out. No one was to my right. I looked over my right shoulder and started backing. Some city dweller came from the opposite way and pulled in right next to me.
We met at my front driver's side bumper and his passenger's side rear door.
He had to have seen me start backing. Surly, as an experienced driver he would know that I could not see him coming from the wrong way. He had lots of choices of parking spaces to the right of me, but chose to pull in right next to me. If he needed to be closer to the building, he could have just waited a second, and he could have had my parking spot. It may be my fault since I was backing, but he was a damn idiot. You'll be glad to know that I was very nice, which caused him to be nice too, if not a bit condescending. He had a brand new Subaru - I know this because he told me at least three times as if it made a big frickin' difference. Oh well. It took me most of the afternoon to get over this. I haven't had a bender or accident in 30 years; I guess it is time for the insurance guys to pay up. Dammit.

7 comments:

Anonymous
said...

I feel your pain! I got a ticket for failure to come to a complete stop one block from the house the day before I left for RR in June. Hadn't had a ticket in over 30 years. Still makes me mad when I think about the attitude of the sheriff's deputy! But sounds like the rest of your trip was fun! Especially seeing the aunts and uncles!

Lou, in my job I roam four very large parking lots in a patrol car for several hours a week.

I often just shake my head when I watch the obvious impatience, and foolishness of drivers (even at very slow speeds).

What kills me are these people in monster trucks that insist on circling the parking lot until they find a spot close to the building open. Oh, they could park 30 feet out, and have plenty of room to back their monstrosities in. But nooooooo....they gotta wedge those massive things in between a couple of big Lincolns (probably driven by old blue hairs that shouldn't even be driving). Heck, the other day I saw a guy do that, and he had to climb out of his drivers side window, because he couldn't open his door.

Morons.

Glad you made it out of Houston alive...was worried. And, your rates will not go up. Not on something like that.

Was the idiot goin' the wrong way in the parking lot? By that I mean a lot of lots are marked "one way" in alternating aisles and it irritates the HELL out of me when people drive the wrong way in them. Businesses spend a lot of time and money marking lots and then idjits... and there are a LOT of 'em... refuse to obey the rules. Drives me NUTS.

/rant

I'm glad you're OK and it was just a scrape. Still, it's irritating... I know.

All,Because I was backing, I am responsible. I've been paying insurance for a long time without a claim - never with this insurance company. This is why they get the big bucks and I need to just let them do their job. Still, it sucks that this whole thang could so easily have been avoided, if Mr. City Dweller had not been in such a hurry and have to park as close as possible.